Crabs crush Yanks, tie FSL Finals

Jeremy Hall gave up two runs over seven innings Sunday night as the Charlotte Stone Crabs cruised to a 9-2 victory over the Tampa Yankees, evening the best-of-5 Florida State League Finals at 1-1.

The Stone Crabs head home for the next three games, needing only two wins to clinch the championship in their first season in Charlotte.

Hall (1-1) kept the Yankees at bay all night, striking out two and issuing three walks en route to his first postseason win. The 25-year-old right-hander retired the first seven batters, five days after allowing six runs -- five earned -- on five hits and three walks over 5 1/3 innings in Game 1 of the semifinals.

Marquis Fleming and Josh Satow combined for two scoreless frames to secure the Crabs' first Finals win.

Charlotte jumped on Tampa's starter David Phelps, who was charged with six runs -- three earned -- on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings. Matt Sweeney, one of the prospects the Rays acquired from the Angels in the Scott Kazmir trade, went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. John Matulia drove in a pair of runs and Emeel Salem added an RBI triple.

The Crabs are managed by former Major Leaguer Jim Morrison, who guided the now-defunct Columbus Catfish -- another Rays Class A affiliate -- to the 2007 South Atlantic League championship.